Boys district basketball: Massillon defense smothers Wadsworth

WOOSTER — The Wadsworth boys basketball team has faced some solid defenses throughout the season, but nothing compared to Massillon on Saturday. The 27th-seeded Grizzlies struggled out of the gate and never recovered, taking a rough 55-22 loss to the second-seed Tigers in the Division II, Northeast 6 District final. Massillon (23-1) moved on to the Region 6 semifinals to take on Avon (18-6), which knocked off Highland (17-7) 49-42, while the Grizzlies finished 8-16. The point total was Wadsworth's lowest in a tournament game since a 24-19 loss against Akron Hower at the Goodyear Class A Sectional in 1944. It was clear from the opening tip that the Tigers' defense was on another level, playing full-court man with traps mixed in at a highly aggressive, physical pace. "We've played a couple teams like that," said Wadsworth senior center Jimmy Galvin, who had five points and a game-high six rebounds. "Solon is tough like that, but no one is to this athletic level. "You throw it and they are jumping passing lanes. They are physical, and that is tournament basketball. They are not going to call stuff." Wadsworth turned over the ball six times before attempting its first shot and fell behind 14-0 before Landon Oaks (6 points, 3 rebounds) scored off an assist from Lucas McDermitt with 1:35 left in the opening quarter. Prior to the Oaks hoop, the Grizzlies were 0-for-5 shooting. "We expected that they were going to amp up the pressure the whole game," Oaks said. "They really turned up the intensity. We knew they were going to be aggressive on defense. We knew they were athletic, and it is what it is. It is tournament basketball." Wadsworth scored six of the final eight points in the quarter to close to 16-6. Despite tight defense by Massillon, it was not whistled for a foul during the first quarter. In fact, the Tigers were charged with just four overall, with one being semi intentional to stop play and allow for substitutions late in the fourth quarter. The Grizzlies got their offense going a little in the second quarter, but the Tigers, who have now won 20 straight games, stayed consistent and expanded the lead to 35-16 at the break. "We were locked in all week," Oaks said. "We tried to focus on every detail that we could, and we believed as a brotherhood that we could do it. We tried our best to prove it." In the half, Massillon shot a staggering 17-for-25 (.680) from the floor, a number that was only lessened by a 1-for-7 (.143) effort from long range. Wadsworth finished the half a respectable 7-for-16 (.436), but the volume of shots from the Tigers combined with 11 turnovers were tough to overcome. Things went from bad to worse after the break, as the Grizzlies were shut out in the third quarter and fell behind 49-16. Wadsworth was 0-for-11 from the field. The scoreless stretch moved into the fourth and reached 12:30 before Galvin ended it on a bucket with 3:30 remaining. Massillon began substituting liberally after pushing the game into running-clock territory when Gio Jackson Jr. (14 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists) made the only two free throws of the game to make the score 51-16. Despite the lopsided loss, the Grizzlies made strides after back-to-back 5-18 seasons. They will return a good chunk of their starting and rotational players in 2026-27. "I was a part of that 5-18 last season," Galvin said. "It is a big step up from that. I think for the younger guys, like (Oaks) and the sophomores and juniors now, (being a district runner-up) is a big moment for them. They have been here before, so next year they come in and have some experience. That is huge for the program and everybody in it." Contact Chad Grant at sports@medina-gazette.com. Massillon 55, Wadsworth 22Division II, Northeast 6 District FinalWADSWORTH&emsp;6 10 0 6 — 22MASSILLON&emsp;16 19 14 6 — 55Wadsworth — Vinny Terranova 1-0-2, Jimmy Galvin 2-0-5, Landon Oaks 3-0-6, Lucas McDermitt 0-0-0, Kyle Schmeltzer 0-0-0, Payton Salzwimmer 1-0-3, Roy Hoertz 2-0-4, Henry Hoover 0-0-0, Isaac Byers 0-0-0, Jack Allen 0-0-0. TOTALS: 10-0-22.Massillon — Jadyce Thigpen 4-0-9, Braylon Gamble 4-0-8, Gio Jenkins Jr. 6-2-14, Xavier Williams 3-0-6, Isaiah Lamp 2-0-4, Marcus Garner 3-0-6, Terrion Wells 3-0-6, Isaac Maxhelmer 0-0-0, Damarion Day 1-0-2, Drew Williams 0-0-0, Mascen Marceric 0-0-0, Brayden Smith 0-0-0, Landon Hose 0-0-0, Aamir Jones 0-0-0, Joe Pierce 0-0-0. TOTALS: 26-2-55.3-point goals — Galvin, Salzwimmer, Thigpen. Rebounds — Wadsworth 13 (Galvin 6), Massillon 22 (Wells, Williams 5). Assists — Wadsworth 4 (McDermitt 2), Massillon 12 (Gamble, Wells 3). Records — Wadsworth (8-16), Massillon (23-1).